North Korea delegation in China for talks - KCNA

[December 16, 2023]  SEOUL (Reuters) - A North Korean diplomatic delegation is visiting China for talks on strengthening cooperation, North Korean state media said on Saturday, as Pyongyang slowly opens its borders and resumes trade with its neighbours after the COVID-19 pandemic.   

A Chinese hostess walks past North Korean and Chinese flags before the meeting between North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing December 7, 2018. Fred Dufour/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

North Korean Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Myong Ho and counterpart Sun Weidong discussed boosting strategic cooperation and bilateral relations on Friday, KCNA said in a statement, without giving details.

References to North Korean officials going to China to discuss political issues publicly has been rare since January 2020, when North Korea closed its borders to curb the spread of COVID.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's trip to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in September was his first overseas visit since before the pandemic.

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by William Mallard)

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